> -----Original Message-----
> From: expect [mailto:expect@ihubbell.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2003 2:14 PM
> To: pgsql-general@postgresql.org
> Subject: [GENERAL] importing db as text files
>
> What's the big deal with importing text files? I have a 70
> MB file to import and it's been one problem after another. I
> used the copy command and it appears that it's just not
> possible. I finally massaged the file into a .sql file and
> ran that using \i db.sql but that failed too because I
> overlooked ' in names like D'Adario. The other problem I
> encountered was that a numeric field had to have data in it,
> pg would not default to the default value. So instead of
> massaging all the data again I decided to change the data
> type for that column. This is my first experience with
> postgresql and I'm wondering if I should expect to encounter
> similar pain as I go further into this? So far it's been
> very painful trying to do what I thought would be easy and
> what I think should be easy.
I use the copy command all the time without problems. If the data
follows the format you describe for copy, there will be no problems. If
the data is some other format, then you will have to use perl or sed or
something to reformat it.
If your data is in some format that is not easy to massage into
something that copy wants to eat, then use an ODBC driver for text files
and move all the data with insert/select.
Expect no miracles. GI/GO.